Ninja vs Tower vs Tefal air fryers: which should you buy?

Since the first air fryer launched back in 2010, many brands have entered the market, but Ninja, Tefal and Tower remain some of the most popular.

Every year in our lab, we test models from the big names as well as rivals, including Morphy Richards, Philips and Russell Hobbs.

To decide which models are worthy of becoming Which? Best Buys, we rigorously test each one, looking for those that are easy to use and make tasty air-fried food. Keep scrolling to discover how big-name brands compare for average Which? test score.

Head to our shortlist of the best air fryers to see which ones came top in our tests

Ninja vs Tower vs Tefal – features compared

Tefal was the first brand to launch a low-fat fryer (the ActiFry) around 10 years ago, closely followed by Philips with its Airfryer. More recently, Ninja and Tower both tried to get a slice of the pie, too.

Ninja air fryers

• Ninja sells the AF100UK as its basic offering for around £70, but has since released the Foodi Dual Zone for around £170 and the Foodi Max for around £200.
• If you're shopping on a budget, the brand's list of sub-£100 models also includes the Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4.7L AF140UK.
• Premium Ninja air fryers come with extra features. For example, the Foodi Dual Zone has two chambers that can cook independently of one another. Meanwhile, the Foodi Max functions like a grill, with a probe that monitors food temperature for optimal timings.
• Ninja air fryers don't have viewing windows, so you could end up pausing it often to check on your food.
• Ninja products come with a 12-month warranty, which is less than Tower and Tefal air fryers.

Our Ninja air fryer reviews will let you know how they performed in our test lab.

Tefal air fryers

• If you're shopping for a Tefal ActiFry model, expect to spend between £80 to just under £280. Note that the Easy Fry range is cheaper than the ActiFry range.
• A higher price gets you a larger cooking capacity – up to 1.7kg with the Tefal ActiFry Genius XL – and advanced features, such as the extra cooking layer of the Tefal ActiFry Genius XL 2in1.
• Easy Fry models are opaque, but ActiFry models have a viewing window at the top, so you can see your food cooking.
• Tefal offers a two-year guarantee on new air fryer purchases.

Read our Tefal air fryer reviews to see which of these models impressed.

Tower air fryers

• Prices for Tower air fryers start at around £70 for the Tower T17021 Air Fryer and go up to £120 for models such as Tower T17039.
• Some Tower models have a more traditional design. However, models such as the Tower T17102 Vortx Vizion and Tower Good Food GF17015 have a dual-compartment oven-style design, a digital display and plenty of other features.
• Tower offers a three-year warranty, which is superior to Ninja and Tefal.

See our Tower air fryer reviews to find out how they fared in our tough lab tests.

Looking for a branded amodel at a great price? We round up the best air fryer deals every month

Which brand is best?

In the table below, we've brought together all our expert knowledge to give you the verdict on which air fryer brand is best, including:

• How well each brand's air fryers performed on average in our tough tests
• What each brand's highest and lowest-scoring air fryers earned in our test lab
• How much each brand's highest-capacity air fryer is capable of cooking in kilograms
• Our overall verdict.

Air fryer brands rated

Only logged in Which? members can see our verdicts in the table below. If you’re not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

Want an appliance that does more than just air fry? See our guide to the best multi-cookers.